Page:The Ancient Geography of India.djvu/593

SOUTHERN INDIA. 539

faith the dhdra^nis or mystical verses, addressed to Vajrâ-pâṇi, when his wish would be accompilished. At the end of three years more Vajrâ-pâṇi appeared to him, and taught him a secret formula which had power to open the cavern in the palace of the Jsuras, where the future Buddha was dwelling. After three years spent in the recitation of these secret dhdranis, the rock opened, and Bhdvaviveka bidding farewell to the multitude, who were afraid to follow him, entered the cavern, which immediately closed upon him and he was no more seen. As this miraculous legend of the dhdranis was the popular belief of Dltanakakata in the seventh century, the place would naturally have been known amongst the people as Blidrani-kotta^ or the " Cavern of the Dhdrani Miracle."

From the mention of Dhanakakata in the cave in- scriptions of the first and second centuries of the Christian era, we might expect to find some trace of the name in the Geography of Ptolemy. But instead of this we find a people named Aruarni, or Avarni, occupying the country below the Maisdlus, or Groda- vari river, with a capital called Malan^a, the resi- dence of King Bassaronaga. As Malanga is placed between the two rivers Afaisdlus and Tgna, its posi- tion corresponds with that of Ellilr, close to which are the remains of the old capital named Vengi, which are still known as Pedda and CJdnna Vegi, or Great and Little VegL^[1] That Malanga was in this neighbour- hood is proved by the existence of the name at the present day in Bandar-malanga^ or the " port of Ma- langa," a small town on the coast; 54 miles to the east- north-east of Masulipatam. I conclude, therefore,